Ambassadors of Style

Thunderball | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 14, 2000)
• Original Release Date: March 14, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Eighteenth Street
• ASIN: B00004HYJ3
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,249 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #39 in Music > Dance & DJ > Rave
  • #93 in Music > Dance & DJ > Drum & Bass

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wouldn't really call this drum and bass, February 22, 2001

By 

Anton Glamb (Kailua, Hawaii USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambassadors of Style [Vinyl] (Vinyl)

Although a lot of the songs on this have drum and bass beats and mixwell with drum and bass songs, a lot of them have hip hop beats and there is even some down-tempo lounge. It's a dope lp and the songs all are super good, but this isn't a strictly drum and bass album. If you've heard theivery corporation, this is a lot like them. They have a more laid back approach to drum and bass and the whole electronic scene. They do blend in a lot of different styles like funk and reggae but the songs are deffinately not going in the direction of "electronic" sounding electronic music. To listen to, this whole release is excellent, all styles covered and done well. Female vocalists to crazy jamaican rappers to reflective moods all in a well rounded release in the tradition of the 18th street lounge style.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I tried to write this review without using a single cliche, May 16, 2001

By 

KVP (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ambassadors of Style (Audio CD)

I bought this album because I'm a fan of Thievery Corporation and their label, Eighteenth St. Lounge. I'd heard a couple of songs of Thunderball from other ESL compilations and was sure that I'd like this album. I took it home, played it and was disappointed. As far as I was concerned, these guys were blatantly pimping themselves as the 21st century version of John Barry (cliché spy reference) by naming themselves "Thunderball" and giving their opening song a title like "Hijack." I found this album's sound too eclectic and filed it away in my collection.

However, I was wrong. This album rewards repeated listening. It's eclecticism is it's strength. This album goes from up-tempo (This Girl) to down-tempo (The Moon, the Sky), from Dub, Drum `n' Bass (Selector) to Trip Hop (Sid's Mellow Trip)(sorry, gratuitous genre references) and for most of the album, somewhere in-between all of these and other categories. This album lacks the obvious hooks of other electronica artists--it's breakbeat lite and uses female vocals sparingly (This Girl, Sirocco). It works on a subtle level more appropriate for a near future spy thriller soundtrack a la James Bond (sorry).

Thunderball, I believe, has a talent level comparable to label-mates Thievery Corporation. Listen to "Ambassadors of Style" as a soundtrack and not an album and you might hear what I hear--music for an imagined film.

My opinion of Thunderball hasn't changed--I still think they're pimping to do a James Bond Soundtrack. However, I no longer believe that's a bad thing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars That's funny, May 26, 2000

By 

Dsc "dsc" (New York City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Ambassadors of Style (Audio CD)

I bought this album because of the incredible hype surrounding it. Naturally, ESL recordings is behind this album, or at least its logo is on the back of it, but it doesn't sound like anything from ESL or Thievery. That's a good thing. As good as Thievery is, the sound can get a little monotonous after a while. Thunderball doesn't sound like drum and bass to me. It sounds like lounge on speed. Maybe it's just semantics. I loved this CD. It was varied, groovy, and full of funkiness that Thievery does not possess. For that reason, Thunderball is a perfect album to compliment the ESL label and the ESL sound. It's refreshing. It's good. It's music. Buy it.